Six of Pentacles Revisited

The Six of Pentacles is not one of my favorite cards. Whenever I draw this card, whether reversed or upright, I know I’m facing a difficult day! Finances are out of whack, and I spend much of the time trying to make ends meet. I’m trying to strike a balance in my life, which always seems precariously out of reach. It is very frustrating!

So, in an effort to see what message the Six of Pentacles holds for me, I’m going to do a Celtic Cross spread with the Fenestra Tarot. My query: “What do I need to know about the Six of Pentacles energy in my life?” I’m going to use the Six of Pentacles as the Significator card, something I rarely use.

1. You: The High Priestess II – I have been letting life happen to me, completely open and passive towards everything that has happened. Not being an active force, commanding the situation or making positive changes. Just simply reflecting and accepting what happens without doing anything about it.

2. Crossing: Six of Cups – I have been acting as a child, not fully responsible for my actions and reactions to life. Depending on my parents and outside help. Not standing on my own two feet, and instead wishing that I had an escape to a life of ease and unrestrained freedom. Still seeing myself as a dependent child, instead of a confident adult.

3. Foundation: Nine of Swords Rx – I have experienced many worry-filled nights, since I was a child, as my parents’ finances were never terribly stable. Mom was an expert at stretching bills and getting things covered by the skin of her teeth. I am not as adept at this, and am struggling much more than they did. This shadow of experiential knowledge has not served me well, and I would do better by learning a new way to manage my finances. I also harbor an internal shame, at the fact that I do not come from a wealthier start, and I always struggle to make things better. Yet my internal blocks keep pulling me back from following through on my noble efforts. Yet the fear of losing it all is very real, and my bills will not go away by ignoring them!

4. Past: Knight of Wands – I have pursued different avenues of breaking out of my current situation, with all the initial enthusiasm of the Knight of Wands. Yet the first sign of opposition, and I fall to pieces. Being blocked does not inspire me to push on, rather I give up and try another avenue. All of these false starts add up to a very dissatisfying situation, with a lot of wasted resources.

5. Present: Seven of Cups – The sheer amount of options available to me are overwhelming. A new or additional job, a new place to live, selling off old items I no longer need, or simply waiting for things to change. Making a budget, tracking my expenses, or playing it by ear. That’s seven right there, and I’m sure I could come up with more! Not knowing the best path drives me crazy, and yet without choosing one, I surely will not succeed.

6. Future: The Moon XVIII Rx – I am not facing the realities of my situation. If that continues, I will lose sight of my intuition, and the truth about everything. I will continue to create busywork and false starts, and become closed off from what I know is right. Ignoring the dark instead of embracing it will only lead to more chaos and confusion.

7. Self: The Fool 0 – It feels like I keep jumping off of cliffs, one after another, and I’m getting nowhere! The fool here is more reckless and wild, jumping for the sheer thrill of a new avenue, and not accomplishing much. More false starts, without tying up the loose ends of previous endeavors. I am starting over again, and need to follow through with my good intentions.

8. Environment: The Tower XVI Rx – A very oppressive environment, where things are shook up yet without a release in sight. While impossible to ignore, I’m trying to shelter myself from the chaos, and not meeting with much success. I’m still holding on, just barely, and not embracing the change.

9. Hopes and Fears: Two of Swords – One part of me wants to keep the balance in check, and maintain what I already have. Not losing any bit of it, no matter how unfulfilling it is. The other part is afraid of what would happen if I did let go, and try to find a new situation entirely. The stalemate is unfulfilling, yet it is all I know. Escape from my comfort zone is both exhilarating and terrifying.

10. Outcome: Ten of Wands Rx – The sheer weight of the burdens I carry will be released soon. One way or the other, something is going to give. It is up to me whether I maintain the status quo, or break out into a new life, with more fulfillment, stability, and joy. The burden is heavy, but it is one that I carry willingly, with great love for my family. Every action I take is for the betterment of my household, and whether that means carrying the wands further, or seeking a new path, I will do what it takes to survive.

Now this is an interesting spread, considering not a single Pentacle popped up to meet the Six of Pentacles energy. This means that, while my problems appear in the material world, their roots are deep within me instead.

The High Priestess is the difference between the card upright and reversed, at least in my life. Upright, I passively accept the situation, while reversed, I take a more active approach like the Knight of Wands, scrambling to set things right. The Six of Cups is a very appropriate card, although it doesn’t appear so at first glance. Until I make up my mind to be a responsible adult and stop looking to the past for answers (Nine of Swords Rx), I won’t find the proper balance within the Six of Pentacles. The Moon shows that I must make up my mind (Seven of Cups) to deliberately seek out and trust my intuition, or else I will lose that ability, and things will fall apart. The Tower reversed almost feels like a bubbling volcano, getting ready to let loose its fury. The stuckness of the Six of Pentacles cannot last forever, and it is up to me to know when to leap (The Fool) and when to stay put (Two of Swords). The choice is mine, but I have no choice but to choose, as it will not be long before I collapse from the weight of my burdens (Ten of Wands Rx).

I find that doing tarot readings on complex cards, or on cards that are appearing very frequently in my life, can unlock new layers of meaning. Have you found any unexpected insights from taking a card and making it the focus of a new spread?